EL CAJON – Supporters of the East County Performing Arts Center gathered outside City Hall last week with a message for the City Council: Changing theater management will hurt El Cajon.

About 100 people took part in the hourlong rally. Some carried signs that read "To destroy the theater is to destroy downtown" and "Restore ECPAC Funding."

The future of the center has come into question in recent weeks as the Arts Center Foundation, the nonprofit that runs the civic venue, has fallen behind on its bills.

Last month, the council gave the nonprofit a January deadline and said it could seek a new manager if the foundation doesn't settle its debts.

Speakers at Tuesday's gathering included school leaders, arts patrons, downtown business people and people associated with the foundation's board of directors. Some said they were compelled to tell the City Council how important the arts are to El Cajon, both culturally and economically.

The rally coincided with a swearing-in ceremony held at City Hall for three council members. The theater is next door.

Gail Nye, a 20-year resident of El Cajon, said the theater has helped spur downtown revitalization. Changing managers would be a step backward, she said.

"I'm very concerned," Nye said. "I don't think the City Council has any vision at all" should it let the theater die or give it to someone else to run.

The council is to discuss the matter Jan. 25. If the foundation is removed, the city could operate the theater as a rental house, or seek other management proposals.

Meanwhile, the Friends of the East County Performing Arts Center has launched a letter-writing campaign. It also organized Tuesday's rally.

Many of the people at the rally later attended the council meeting, and about a dozen people spoke in support of the theater.

The foundation was established seven years ago to transform the 1,142-seat facility from a community theater into a performing arts center. Since then, the nonprofit has struggled to pay its bills.

Dick Zellner, the foundation's president, said all civic performing arts centers in California receive some government help and that the El Cajon venue is woefully underfunded.

The city has provided an annual subsidy of $350,000 for three years, but it was cut that last year because of budget constraints.

The foundation owes the city $462,000, but that will grow to $726,000 by the end of January. The foundation also is paying off a loan to the city that totals about $580,000. The foundation wants the council to forgive the loan and give the nonprofit more time to come current on its bills.